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'Outer Banks' review: is the new Netflix original worth watching?

After binging this teen mystery, you'll probably dream that you live on an island just as full of adventure.

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Released during a perfect period for people to sit back and enjoy newly given free time, Outer Banks is the teen mystery of the year. Full with drama and adventure, these teens embark on an inquisition like no other.

Throughout the past month since this Netflix original was released, I had multiple people recommend me to watch it. Finally, I decided to give it a chance and was not disappointed.

After researching more, I discovered that the ‘Outer Banks’ is a real-life island off the coast of North Carolina. In the case of the show however, the island is divided between the poor and neglected “Pogues,” and the wealthy “Kooks,” who of course don’t get along with each other well.

Most of the characters are actually really likable, but there are obviously a few who do nothing but cause trouble. The show mainly follows a group of four teenage Pogues who are faced with a plethora of obstacles including drugs, fights, family, friendship, and love.

After his father’s mysterious ship-wreck related disappearance, the leading protagonist John B. drags along his three best friends Kiera, JJ, and Pope, to help him find a legendary treasure that could be linked to the vanishing; but, the road turns out to be a lot more bumpy than they believed it would.

Since the hidden gold is rumored to be worth 400 million dollars, the competitive nature of locating it does make sense.

As I watched, I thought about how much easier some of this would be if these characters just had cell phones, and was curious about why the modern-day storyline didn’t include modern technology. Apparently, I missed the part where they said the power was out on the island and only the rich people were fortunate enough to have generators in their homes.

The “Pogues,” and “Kooks,” symbolize the battles between rich and poor people, as well as how social class and money directly affect the amount of privilege you have. Wealthy people can get away with doing bad things just because they have money, something this program greatly demonstrates.

Apart from the dangerous scenarios the characters encounter, there is also a star-crossed romance that has fans googly eyed over John B’s perfect boyfriend persona.

While there are a few cliches and common themes that are present throughout Outer Banks, the creators have added an authentic, unique twist to each plot. Great acting from new stars, as well as relatable content has easily grasped people’s attention and has viewers anticipating a follow-up season as soon as possible.

Luckily, there seems there is a long road ahead for the series, with showrunners already discussing their plans for seasons 4 and 5. Additionally, the actors and actresses of the series have been taking to the show's official Instagram account to go live and answer viewer’s questions.

If you are bored at home during this quarantine, I definitely suggest you check out Outer Banks, as it’s a show built for almost any audience. The action, adventure, and mystery is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat, and you’ll have no ability to stop watching once you start.